The Realities of Burnout and Avoiding Fatigue

This often happens to me after the first quarter of each year when the health and wellness industry is booming. I hustle hard during that quarter and then crash just a little.

Burnout can leave you feeling depleted, stressed and overwhelmed. Sherrie Bourg Carter says it perfectly: “Burnout is a cunning thief that robs the world of its best and its brightest by feeding on their energy, enthusiasm, and passion, transforming these positive qualities into exhaustion, frustration, and disillusionment. But the good news is that burnout is not a terminal condition.”

If you are feeling this way, my friend, you are not alone. We all go through this at some point or another on this entrepreneurial journey. So, when you find yourself at the intersection of burned out and giving up, here are a few tips to keep you moving forward.

Revisit Your Why

When burnout starts to creep up on you, it’s so important you revisit your why. Going back to your purpose is critical to push through and find a better way. Your why can help you re-prioritize, re-envision, and refocus when things get off track. So, be sure to keep your why in front of you and reference it often.

Delegate

Delegation can be scary because in some ways you are giving up control…and let’s be honest, most of us entrepreneurial types don’t like to give up control. However, I have long said, “you can have control or you can have growth, but you can’t have both.” If you are holding on to the puppet strings too tightly, your hands will get tired. You’ve got to loosen your grip a little every now and then.

A couple of tips for delegating:

Make a list of everything you hate doing and figure out a way to have someone else do those things for you. Obviously, we can’t do this with everything, but it will give you a starting point!

Focus on the essentials. We often get burned out because we are doing too many things that are truly not necessary. Cut out anything that isn’t essential.

Build a strong team. You will probably have to invest in a team to grow your business. Find the right people and then empower them to do their thing.

Take Daily Breaks

You need to give yourself a few mental breaks each day, even if it’s only for 10 minutes. Go outside and get some vitamin D. Take a quick walk around the office. Do a quick 10 minute yoga video. Spend 20 minutes reading a book…for fun. Turn on some music and dance with one of your kids. Relax and deep breathe for at least 10 minutes each day. This honestly will do wonders to keep you from burning out.

Practice Daily Gratitude

Mindset is truly a game changer. When you are positive, focused and living out of an abundance mindset, you are able to accomplish so much more. Practicing gratitude is a simple way to get your mindset back on a positive track. It reminds you that nothing is truly as urgent as it seems and that there is so much good in your life. I try to come up with 2-3 things I am grateful for each day. Practice this for a couple of weeks and I guarantee you will see your mindset shift and the fog of burnout fade.

Start Something New and Challenge Yourself

Boredom can lead to burnout quickly. When you are running your own business, it is important to shake things up every now and then. It’s in our nature as entrepreneurs to thrive in challenging and innovative settings. So, when you feel the burnout coming on, it’s likely time to try something new. Create a new program, launch a new course, create a new product, get a new certification…disrupt the monotony and you’ll be able to avoid those overwhelming feelings of burnout.

Ask for Help

If you are an online entrepreneur, it’s easy to isolate yourself. When we believe we are in this thing all alone, burnout tends to hit harder. When you are feeling overwhelmed, ask for help. Get some advice from someone you trust. Go to someone older and wiser than you and ask for some encouragement and guidance. Hire a coach and ask them to lead you in the right direction. Don’t try to do this thing alone. The entrepreneurial life is best lived in community, with lots of support. When you are feeling burned out, get help!

Life isn’t easy. Building a business isn’t easy. Even the best of us get burned out. When you hustle hard, you fizzle out quickly. Do what you can to overcome burnout and take the time you need to reset. Your health and mental well being should be a top priority for you, so try implementing a few of these tips to either avoid burnout, or fight burnout when you start to feel it coming on!